What will humans look like in the year 3000?

What are the consequences of digitization on the human body? A simulation called Mindy now shows this impressively. The man of the future is therefore small, dumber, has a hump and a second eyelid.

Digitization makes our lives much easier. Smartphones, tablets and laptops have become constant companions and offer us, for example, global networking and access to immense knowledge at all times.

In doing so, we have learned to use the advantages of technology in everyday life. But the consequences of digitization are not only positive.

The consequences of digitization for the human body

When experts talk about the consequences of digitization, it is often about the psychological stress that triggers permanent accessibility, time pressure and multitasking. Fatigue, tension, stress and burnout are the focus of the discussion.

But digitization can not only have a negative impact on our mind, but also on our body. Because the design and the typical usage habits of modern technical devices have a significant influence on our posture.

Mindy: This is what man looks like in the year 3000

In order to show what consequences digitization actually has on our bodies, a US telecommunications provider collected scientific studies and opinions from experts.

A team then worked with a 3D designer to design the human of the future, whose body has changed through the constant use of smartphones, laptops and other technical devices. The result: mindy.

Hands frozen in a claw, a hump and double eyelids

For example, images of Mindy’s posture show that she can no longer stand upright. Health expert Caleb Backe explains which parts of the body are under the most pressure when using technology:

Staring at your phone for hours puts strain on your neck and unbalances your spine. As a result, the muscles in the neck have to work extra hard to support the head. Sitting in front of the computer in the office for hours also means that the upper body is pulled out in front of the hips instead of standing straight and upright.

Consequences of digitization: This is what Mindy’s body looks like

The Mindy model shows the impact technology could have on our individual body parts. Nikola Djordjevic describes the deformation of the hands into a claw as “cubital tunnel syndrome”. The phenomenon occurs when people hold their smartphones in an unnatural position for long periods of time.

The 90 degree elbow

But not only the hands will obviously deform over time. Constant use of smartphones can also affect elbows. The typical arm position when holding and using smartphones causes a constant 90 degree angle. Djordjevic explains:

This syndrome is caused by pressure or stretching of the nerve in the elbow, which runs in a groove on the inside of the elbow. This causes numbness or tingling in the ring and little fingers, pain in the forearm, and weakness in the hands. Keeping your elbow bent for a long time—usually while holding the phone—can stretch the nerve behind the elbow and put pressure on it.

The technical neck

The consequences of digitization can also be seen on Mindy’s neck. Scientists refer to the deformation of the back of the neck as “tech neck”. Daniel Riew, a doctor at New York Presbyterian Orch Spine Hospital, explains the phenomenon:

When you work on a computer or look at your phone, the muscles in your neck have to contract to hold your head up. The more you look down, the harder your muscles have to work to keep your head up. These muscles can become overly fatigued and sore when we’re looking at our smartphones and tablets, or spending most of our workday at the computer.

Thick skull

According to science, the frequent use of smartphones can also have an impact on the human skull. Meanwhile, researchers are increasingly worried that high-frequency radiation could have serious health consequences for the brain.

So it could be that the human of the future will develop a thicker skull to protect the brain from the consequences of digitization.

A second eyelid

Mindy’s latest change is perhaps the most outlandish. As Kasun Ratnayke from the University of Toledo suspects, people of the future could grow a second eyelid, which also pulls over the eyeball from the side.

Humans could evolve a larger inner eyelid to prevent exposure to excessive light, or the eye lens could be evolved to block incoming blue light but not other high-wavelength lights like green, yellow, or red.

Will the consequences of digitization make the people of the future small and stupid?

As various scientists suspect, the answer is yes. Based on the idiocracy theory, cognitive scientist David Geary assumes that our brains are getting smaller.

This is because, thanks to technical advances in agriculture, healthcare and many other areas of life, people have to do less.

Humans could also become smaller overall. According to experts, this is because survival in the future no longer depends on being the largest and strongest person in the species.

Consequences of digitization: Mindy’s presentation is a wake-up call

As the authors of the study also mention, it is relatively unlikely that humans really deform according to Mindy’s model. The anatomical changes shown are exaggerated.

Even so, they would be based on sound, science-based concerns. Mindy’s presentation should at least be a motivation to not only care about economic efficiency in everyday life and in the office, but also about a healthy posture.

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